Center of Attention
by Alex Foster
Summary: Immediately after giant Dawn’s arrival in Scotland, slayers are assigned to help make her comfortable. Satsu finds her way to the detail in order to spend time with Buffy’s sister.


Title: Center of Attention

Author: Alex Foster

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Category: Friendship

Setting: Before the events of Buffy Season Eight Issue #1: The Long Way Home

Rating: PG

Summary: Immediately after giant Dawn's arrival in Scotland, slayers are assigned to help make her comfortable. Satsu finds her way to the detail in order to spend time with Buffy's sister.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Mutant Enemy, Dark Horse, and Joss Whedon. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: This is my entry in the Taming the Muse writing challenge. The prompt was the word center.

* * *

_You can't cheat kids. If you cheat them when they're children they'll make you pay when they're sixteen or seventeen by revolting against you or hating you or all those so-called teenage problems. I think that's finally when they're old enough to stand up to you and say, 'What a hypocrite you've been all this time. You've never given me what I really wanted, which is you'._

-John Lennon

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Pulling the leather strap around the barrel tight, Satsu hefted it onto her back and reminded herself that she chose this assignment. Around her the Scottish night was cold and dark with only a thin slice of moon and starlight to see by. Picking through the bramble and heather brush lining the riverbank, Satsu found the path and started back to the castle.

The barrel bounced uncomfortably against her back with each step. There were other, less unpleasant, jobs open at the castle she knew. The kitchen always needed help; the laundry that ran day and night would put anyone to work; and the group that rotated security patrols would have happily taken her combat experience. Instead she decided to spend the next week keeping late hours out on the moor and making water barrel deliveries because this assignment offered one unique thing.

The chance to meet Buffy Summers' sister.

Turning from the centuries old trail, Satsu walked along the eastern castle wall and headed for the barn. The smell of the evening's dinner wafting from the great hall was still strong. Satsu imagined all the girls sitting together laughing and talking. Known jokingly as the Dawn Detail the slayers in charge of making sure Buffy's sister was comfortable rarely had time to eat with the rest of the group. Tonight Satsu's dinner was on a foil covered plate in the barn.

Her breath clouded in the crisp air as massive outbuilding slowly came into view. They had used the barn mainly for storage and the occasional surreptitious make out point when Buffy first setup residence at the castle, but now it served as one of the few places large enough to house Dawn.

Satsu blinked against the bright light spilling through the open doorway and walked inside. Leaning half against the far wall with her arms crossed in front of her chest was fifty foot tall Dawn Summers. There was no shortage of rumors circulating through the slayer army about exactly what happened to Buffy's sister that caused her to grow so enormous, but no one (not even Buffy, the gossip said) knew the real reason. Still clad in the jeans and yellow sweater she came to Scotland in, Dawn glanced up when she saw Satsu. "Welcome back."

Her voice, while not overtly loud, rumbled in the long building and Satsu felt the vibration in her bones. Letting the leather strap go slack, she set the barrel full of water down and shoved it into corner with five others.

"You know when I was five years old, mom used to let me keep a glass of water on the nightstand at bedtime," Dawn said. "Used to take ten seconds to fill a glass. Now it takes, what, half an hour?"

"It's not a problem, ma'am." Satsu walked to a small table set next to the old haymow. Underneath the foil her dinner was amazingly still warm.

"I can help," Dawn said. "I don't mind. I can probably carry a few of those at once."

"They aren't that heavy, ma'am. Miss Summers doesn't want you exerting yourself unnecessarily until the wiccas can pinpoint the spell used on you."

Dawn sighed and Satsu's hair moved with the force of it. "I'm huge and not made of glass. She doesn't have to keep me locked away in the stupid barn."

Satsu glanced up at her. "I don't think that is Miss Summers' intention. I'm sure she is just concerned you might have an accident and break a bone…or the castle."

"Yeah right." Dawn pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. The wiccas made sure the barn stayed comfortably warm even when it was cold outside and the doors were wide open. "_Miss Summers_. _Mister Harris_. It's so stupid they make you call them that."

Satsu shook her head insistently. This wasn't how she imagined her first evening with Buffy's sister. "They don't make—"

"I mean she just has to be the center of attention all the time! I know she's the slayer and all, but sometimes there are more important things than her and her brand new life. She doesn't even come out here to see me. At least Xander does that."

Stunned, Satsu froze and tried to figure out how to handle the upset gigantic teenager. Initially she had hoped to spend the evening talking about Buffy and hearing about her real childhood, not the epic stories of saving the world most of the army knew. Now she wondered if perhaps she could get Dawn to tell her the reason behind the growth spell. Visions of being a hero to Buffy for figuring out the mystery flashed before her eyes.

"I haven't been with Miss Summers long," Satsu said, stepping toward Dawn, "but I've watched her very closely over the past year. She does understand and care about you."

"Yeah. That's why she dumped me in school and took off for this place."

"I think she just wanted you to be saf—" As the words left her mouth, Satsu realized it was the wrong thing to say.

"I'm a friggin' dinosaur! I don't need to be protected."

Satsu reached out and touched Dawn's leg. A single seam in Dawn's jeans was wider than Satsu's hand. "Is that what happened, ma'am? Were you trying to never need protection again?"

"No." Dawn pushed against the wall and let her chin sink down. "You wouldn't understand. No one does."

"I might." Satsu hesitated and wondered exactly how much she should share with this person she'd only known a few hours. She doubted Dawn would open up at all after learning she was in love with Buffy. She doubted Buffy would even appreciate that very much. "I understand what it is like to not be seen by the one person you wish would see."

Dawn looked at her and Satsu saw the family resemblance to Buffy in her eyes. The lips and cheekbones were different and exaggerated now with her size, but she was a Summers. The likeness was enough that Satsu felt the pang of her feelings for Buffy flare in her chest.

"Mister Harris didn't order me out here, ma'am," she said. "I volunteered."

"Wanted to see the freak, huh?"

"I wanted to meet you, yes, but not for that reason." Satsu glanced over her shoulder at the cooling dinner plate and decided it could wait. She sat cross-legged in front of Dawn and clasped her hand together. "Since I still have a few hours left on my shift how about we talk about whatever you wish? No need to talk about Buffy if you don't want to. You have my complete attention."

"But don't you, like, idolize her or something? Don't all you slayers?"

"I do," Satsu said honestly. "But I didn't volunteer to spend time with her; I wanted to spend time with you."

Dawn smiled slightly and Satsu saw she picked the right words that time. "I won't tell you what happened to make me big," the teenager quickly said. "Only Willow will understand what I went through."

Satsu nodded. The hope of becoming Buffy's hero by figuring out Dawn's problem died just as fast as it was born. "Then I won't ask about that."

"Really? That's all people keep asking me."

"I won't, ma'am."

Satsu made herself comfortable and settled in. She knew the likelihood of the conversation feeding her need for Buffy insight was not very great, but she could at least do her part in making Dawn feel welcome. Giving her the center spotlight and making her happy counted as a win to Satsu. It was for Buffy's sister after all.

**End**


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